How to deal with the Non-Paleo people around you

Change is usually not easy. But you are slowly turning things around. You are getting comfortable transitioning into the Paleo lifestyle. You are healthier, feel great and your abs were smiling back at you from the bathroom mirror this morning. You feel you made the right choice

Not everyone around you will feel that way though. Family members might be worried that your way of eating is not balanced, friends might dismiss is it as just "a phase" and others might take offence because you are skipping dessert all the time.

You might also hear lame jokes about hunting mammoths or concerns with you eating all that meat and being close to a heart attack.

Be aware that there will always be some form of resistance. Whenever you deviate from the norm people might often feel a little bit uncomfortable. The Paleo concept is not that well known yet. The vegetarian diet had to go through the same resistance stage.

For the same reason try to not take it personally. Especially people closest to you will withhold their support if they are worried about you or worry that they do not fit into your new lifestyle. It's a matter of time. I had long discussions with the husband when switching to Paleo. He was worried about the amount of saturated fats I was consuming and also a bit sad that we could not do our monthly bread, wine and cheese nights any more. He later was convinced though when he saw that I barely got sick even during flu season and that I was not only eating meat but also tons of vegetables. Try to openly communicate with your friends and loved ones and address the issues they might have.

Another important rule for a harmonious co-existence is not to be in your face Paleo. Steer away from the missionary zeal to convert people. It's natural wanting to spread the word especially after you have experienced great results. But you cannot force people if they do not want to. Live and let eat. It's up to them to decide. Answer their questions if they want to know more, keep discussions level-headed and agree to disagree. A vegan can still be your friend.

That does not mean to be all hush hush about it. If people are supposed to accept your new lifestyle you will have to accept it first. When I switched to Paleo I was a bit uncomfortable letting people know, almost a bit embarrassed Sometimes when eating out with my husbands's family I would hope they would notice that I left some things untouched on my plate. But you have to be comfortable with your choice. As Dr. Mauro Di Pascquale wrote in his book The Anabolic Solution:

Realize You Deserve To Be Happy. You haven't done any injustice to humanity. [...] You run your own life and make decisions on what you need, not what somebody else thinks you need. [...] You'll be able to say "no"when you need to say "no" and not feel guilty. And, as you find yourself creating the kind of body you want, you'll find your self-worth increasing.

The only solution is to be your own person. You're the boss. You're responsible for your diet and you must make the decisions and conduct yourself accordingly.

Comfortably stand your ground without being a push over. Accept your right to change for the better. And people who truly care about you will accept the 'better you' .That's all what matters.

I had almost a big row with my mum because of my diet. I was Vegetarian before and she was concerned I couldn't handle the influx in meat. At least it only took one Dr. Oz episode on Paleo to turn her around. Will forward this article to her. Keep up the good work.

Hey Kitkat, my mum was actually glad I was eating meat again, but my husband was worried that I was eating too much saturated fat. Think he turned around when Time magazine wrote the fat-is-good article. 😊